Move the dob - slide or partially

[ManUtdFans]

How do you guys move the dob(8" or 10")?
eg. move from garage to backyard, "dismantle" into the tube and base first
and then resemble the 2 things together, right?

But after you reached the backyard how about if you found the position is not good enough but need to move a bit further (1 metre to left, right... etc).

[Varangian]

I fitted lockable castors to the bottom of my mount so I can push and lock in place at will (example attached).

Another option is to use a trolley

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-12-0-0-1-0.html

[ManUtdFans]

John,

Great idea of using a trolley.
However, I don't have Polystyrene-foam packing, what do you think the replacement of it can be found in Bunnings?

[noeyedeer]

or Clarke's rubber .. use high density foam ... I'd take a template made out of cardbooard and get them to cut out the semi circle

matt

[Varangian]

Yep that's what I would do a semi-circular cut of high density foam so the OTA slides in nice and snug - very cheap option. Just remember the strap!

Cheers.

[sn1987a]

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/30981-wheelbarrow-mod-for-my-dob/. :thumbsup:

[ManUtdFans]

Which section in Clarke's rubber website I should be looking into?

[noeyedeer]

I'd be looking at this www.clarkrubber.com.au/closed-cell-foam-pe-and-eva-foams.html

[Varangian]

Great for something over 16" but maybe a bit overkill for an 8".

[sn1987a]

The system I use on my 16 is two wheels permanently mounted on the front about 50 to 75 mm high of the ground and two aluminium tube wheel barrow handles that slide quickly in and out of two sets of collared eye bolts. Friction is more than enough to engage the eye bolts and the aluminium. Move your scope in and out of the house fully assembled around the yard and into your ute or van. It's a simple system that Scales to suit any sized Dob.

[ManUtdFans]

Looks I can even use a cushion or bubble wraps?

[SingleWord]

I found Dob is a bit hard to keep the viewing object in field of view. Need to adjust the up/down and left/right of the tube as the result of earth/object movement, very hard to do a fine adjustment.
eg. Tuesday, viewing Saturn is a bit easier because of using the moon as reference (started from 7:45pm). What happen if other times how to adjust to keep Saturn in FOV?

[Varangian]

Nothing I'm afraid that's a limitation of the Alt-Azimuth mount of a Dob. Try a medium - powered eyepiece or a higher powered eyepiece with a greater FOV such as Explore Scientific / Nagler 82 degrees.

[ManUtdFans]

I found that is little differences between these 2 trolleys visually from Bunnings:
http://www.bunnings.com.au/westmix-p-handle-trolley_p3350307
http://www.bunnings.com.au/250kg-p-handle-trolley-with-pneumatc-tyres_p2972045

[noeyedeer]

I have a 10" dob, and can usually keep the object in the fov quite easily even with a 5mm eyepiece by nudging ever so slightly. if I totally lose it, I just use the finderscope.

with the finderscope I adjust it's alignment with each EP up to around 15mm, then it's usually spot on with my eps under 15mm. if I go lower I usually centre the object in the ep, and quickly switch to finder to note its position and where to relocate it if I go inside, lose it totally .. etc.

matt

[Meru]

Hi Alan,

+1 for castors. I bought a 10" dob with them already fitted and was so thankful it came with them! I have no idea how else to move in out of my garage for viewing otherwise.

[Pinwheel]

I also fitted lockable castor wheels (x3) to the base of my 12" dob. However I still dismantle because of stairs & a door step. This will all be temporary till my observatory is built.

[glend]

Castors are a bad idea in my opinion because they will transfer shock and vibration directly to the structure, with possible effects on collimation. An inflatable tyre trolley would be better. Secondly, if you are taking the dob to a dark site the castors will be useless on the ground and sink in or lead to instability. My dark site experience is that most people put down a small tarp and use pads of ply or something like that to level their scope. Leveling is important if your using setting circles so that you get accurate aiming.
The article by Mike Salway on Transporting a Dob, here on IIS is a good idea. Inflatable tyre trolleys are cheap and have other uses around tbe home.

My 16" dob has wheel barrow handles, which I built, and they make movement and setup very easy. I can even push the dob into the back of the 4wd (using ramps). There are plenty of options. Just forget the castors.

[Pinwheel]

I should have stated I only move my Dob about 4 meters from my in house man cave to the verandah, I live at a dark site already!:D

[ColHut]

If you get a trolley, make sure it has pneumatic tyres. It is much easier on the telescope.

Regards

[Pinwheel]

Pneumatic tyres are a bad idea if you have "Bindii" in your lawn. Even my ride on mower has been a victim.

[ausastronomer]

I agree 100%. Predominantly because castors will only work on a hard flat surface like a concrete, or bitumen pad or path and that is the last surface you should be setting your telescope up on to observe, particularly in the Australian Summer. While concrete or bitumen is convenient and easy from a transport and setup point of view, thermally and optically it is a poor choice. Get a pump up tyre trolley and wheel the scope off the concrete and 20 feet or so onto the grass, if possible. Then try to observe in the direction away from the concrete if possible. A good test after it has been a hot day is to observe a star not over any concrete or structures that hold heat like houses and defocus on a star outside focus and observe the thermals. Then do the same thing with the scope aimed over a concrete path or a house emitting thermals and observe the difference in the stability of the defocused fresnel rings.

Concrete and bitumen holds the heat from the day and emits warm thermal currents continually through the night as it cools. The best surface to set up any telescope on, regardless of mount type, or design, is on short mown grass, or dirt with a tarp over the dirt to keep things clean. The grass doesn't hold the heat and stops the dirt underneath absorbing any heat. Irrespective of the grass, dirt holds a lot loss heat than concrete or bitumen.

A lot of people claim they are experiencing "poor seeing" when they have their scope set up on concrete or bitumen. In fact in many cases the general seeing is excellent, but is bad in their immediate vicinity because of the thermals emanating from the concrete or bitumen they are set up on.

Cheers,
John B

[Varangian]

Me too. I wheel the Dob out of the shed all of about 4 metres and find since I've upgraded to Bobs Knobs springs that I have no issue with collimation and castors.

Ideally I would like to be on grass too but my backyard is full of concrete so I am limited there. Conversely I have seen a few OTAs come off trolleys to recommend them wholeheartedly - even for the most careful observer. Castors work for me and they keep my chipboard base off wet ground / tarps.

My dark site has a hard baked clay so no issue with sinking wheels...but everyone is different with different requirements.

[Pinwheel]

I little trick also is if you go to a warehouse with pallets you could scrounge a pallet pad. It's a corrugated plastic board to put on the ground as a sheet. it shields the telescope of dirt & damp ground, being plastic it won't rot.